Posey County, Indiana
Posey County is a county located in the south and western extremes of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 25,910. The county seat is Mount Vernon . Posey County is part of the Evansville, IN–KY Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Posey County was formed on November 11, 1814 from Gibson and Warrick counties. It was named for Revolutionary War Gen. Thomas Posey, who was, at the time, Governor of the Indiana Territory. Mount Vernon became the county seat in 1825. Geography According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 97.39%) is land and (or 2.61%) is water. The lowest point in the state of Indiana is located on the Ohio River in Posey County, where it flows out of Indiana and into Illinois and Kentucky. Adjacent Counties *Gibson County - north and northeast *Vanderburgh County - east *Henderson County, Kentucky - southeast *Union County, Kentucky - south *Gallatin County, Illinois - southwest *White County, Illinois - west and northwest Cities and towns *Cynthiana *Griffin *Mount Vernon *New Harmony *Poseyville Townships *Bethel *Black *Center *Harmony *Lynn *Marrs *Point *Robb *Robinson *Smith Unincorporated towns and places *Barrett *Blairsville *Bufkin *Bugtown *Caborn *Dead Mans Crossing *Erwin *Farmersville *Grafton *Hepburn *Heusler *Hovey *Lippe *Marrs Center *New Baltimore *Oak Grove *Oliver *Parkers Settlement *Philip Station *Prairie *Rapture *Savah *Solitude *Springfield *St. Philip *St. Wendel *Stewartsville *Upton *Wadesville *Welborn Switch *West Franklin Transportation Major highways * * * * * * * * Railroads *CSX Transportation *Evansville Western Railway River Ports *Largest ports in the U.S. from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Southwind Maritime Center Climate and weather }} In recent years, average temperatures in Mount Vernon have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1912 and a record high of was recorded in July 1901. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in September to in May. Government The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code. County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes. Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government. Court: The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court. County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 27,061 people, 10,205 households, and 7,612 families residing in the county. The population density was 66 people per square mile (26/km²). There were 11,076 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.97% White, 0.86% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 0.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 44.2% were of German, 19.2% American, 10.8% English and 7.0% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 10,205 households out of which 36.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.50% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.40% were non-families. 22.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.08. In the county the population was spread out with 27.30% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $44,209, and the median income for a family was $53,737. Males had a median income of $39,084 versus $23,996 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,516. About 6.00% of families and 7.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.50% of those under age 18 and 10.00% of those age 65 or over. Education *Mount Vernon High School - Mt. Vernon *New Harmony High School - New Harmony *North Posey High School - Poseyville Tourism & Recreation *Brittlebank Park - Mount Vernon *Harmonie State Park - New Harmony *Hovey Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area - Mount Vernon http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3092.htm *New Harmony Historic District http://www.in.gov/ism/StateHistoricSites/HistoricNewHarmony/index.aspx - New Harmony *Sherburne Park - Mount Vernon References * See also *Erie Canal Soda Pop Festival - Griffin, Indiana. * National Register of Historic Places listings in Posey County, Indiana Category:Posey County, Indiana Category:Counties of Indiana Category:Established in 1814 Category:Ohio River counties Category:Evansville metropolitan area Category:Southwestern Indiana